Sylvia Rimm on Raising Kids by Dr. Sylvia Rimm

Q: What techniques or strategies can I implement to encourage my son to write and draw more? He is 4 years old, and I am concerned about kindergarten readiness. Thank you.

A: I'm glad you asked this question because many parents, particularly of boys, have written to me about their school-age children's problem with handwriting. Boys' problems with handwriting aren't new. Teachers have forever reported to parents of boys, and some girls, that they work so fast and carelessly that they don't care about the quality of the work.

Their fast, careless work may be because they'd like to be the first one done. Young children typically consider the first one done to be the smartest, and conversely, the last one done the dumbest. Boys who write slowly or with difficulty don't want to be considered dumb, and, furthermore, the consequence for incomplete work could be missing recess—a punishment that they'd rather not experience. Hence, we can understand why they rush through their work.

I've written earlier about suggested solutions for children who already have writing problems. Now you're asking what you can do to prevent the problem. In my talks and writing, I've often blamed the school-age problem on not enough practice during the preschool years. In our culture, boys in day care or preschool typically choose building toys, cars and trucks, or Legos for play when given choices. Girls are more likely to choose to play house, imaginary play, coloring, cutting, pasting and crafts. Therefore, during the preschool years when brain growth is rapid, boys may not be developing the hand dexterity needed for writing, which is different than the type needed for building Legos or screwdrivers. Now that I've provided the reason for you asking your question, let me make some suggestions.

Family projects that require children to cut paper, paste and color encourage imagination but also improve potential writing coordination.

Tracing dot-to-dot and number-to-number pictures is very good for writing coordination. Drawing chalk pictures on sidewalks and driveways is fun and also good for writing coordination.

Making thank you cards and notes for gifts received not only teaches good manners and appreciation, but helps children express themselves with pencils and crayons.

While preschool workbooks aren't always creative, they do prepare children well for future classroom assignments when they enter school. A sticker or a star for completed work keeps children motivated and gets them into good work habits. Parents need to be careful not to expect too many pages though, or this activity can become an unpleasant pressure.

Family drawings and murals are a great way to get all the kids involved in expressing themselves visually. Your preschooler can dictate stories that you write to make his pictures more interesting. As he masters printing and writing, he can add a sentence or two of his own to the family artwork.

As you can see, there are many ways you can encourage your son to have fun with writing and drawing. Also, be sure to listen to Don Rabalais singing the song "The Story of Walter Fast" on my website.

For a free newsletter about "Raising Preschoolers" (Three Rivers Press, 1997), send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address below. Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many books on parenting. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Please send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or srimm@sylviarimm.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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